Naruto The Movie 2: Legend of the Stone of Gelel – Review January 25, 2010

Naruto The Movie 2: Legend of the Stone of Gelel is a pretty decent addition to the Naruto movies. I realize I review them out of order but I gravitate towards films that leave an impression on me firstly. This movie was very reminiscent of the very first ten to fifteen episodes of the Naruto series. Obviously, if you are not a fan of the series or follow the Naruto universe, this review will be useless to you. For those looking to see an evolution of said characters. you will most likely be dissappointed. Of all the characters Gaara seemed to be the only one that had continued to develop in the movie. This is essentially a movie about survival.

Sent on a seemingly run-of-the-mill mission to return a lost ferret to its owner along with his teacher Shikamaru and female classmate Sakura, Naruto becomes entangled in a ruthless invading force. Though the attackers claim to be founding a utopia that will spread peace to the world, their merciless quest for the stone of Gelel has already brought them into fierce conflict with Sand Ninja Kankuro and Gaara. It has everything you would expect of a Naruto story, lots of adrenaline filled fight scenes, a big dramatic threat and a megamalomaniac villain. The writers also throw in a rather hackneyed message about the importance of friendship and stuff.

Squad Seven faces their most dangerous mission yet: protect the stone from those who would misuse its power. If you were looking at this release as a way to springboard into the franchise you’re going to be left wanting. 3D CG is effortlessly blended with 2D animation to offer something that truly fills its scope, and odd touches like the mediaeval armour of Temujin and his allies, added to the Mayan feel of the Gelel legend all work to make this much bigger than the television series that spawned it. In the end Naruto the Movie: Legend of the Stone of Gelel is basically just an extended episode from the show but without the sense of drama.

Though prior knowledge of the franchise isn’t necessary to understand the film, Viz still provides an option for pop-up notes that explain the history of each special move and give pointers on relationships and other television-specific information. I can’t really blame the staff for the thinness of the film. But, the fights are really cool and if you are a fan of Naruto its something that you need to have added in your collection. Slowly but surely, I will get to reviewing the other films in the series, but until then, Naruto offers much viewing material to keep you occupied in the meantime. Naruto The Movie 2: Legend of the Stone of Gelel isn’t a bad place to start.